Native Indians hold an image of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first American Indian to achieve sainthood, as they wait for a canonization ceremony in St. Peter's Square, Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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The Vatican canonized seven new saints today, adding to its roster from parts of the globe where the Catholic church is falling behind. America claimed two of those seven spots, reports the Star-Telegram, notably including the first Native American saint, the so-called "Lily of the Mohawks," Kateri Tekakwitha, a 17-century missionary born in what is today Upstate New York. "May the witness of these new saints speak today to the whole church, and may their intercession strengthen and sustain her in her mission to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world," said Pope Benedict in his address in St. Peter's Square.

The second American was Marianne Cope, a missionary from the same area who cared for leprosy patients in Hawaii two centuries after Tekakwitha lived, reports the AP. But the crowd favorite appeared to be the Philippines' second saint, Pedro Calungsod, a 17th-century teen martyr. "It's so nice to see God showing all the flavors of the world," said one Native American in attendance.

The proclamation or Requerimiento as it was known was a formal “legal” document drawn up at the request of the Spanish monarchy. It was given to the conquistadors to read to the Native American Indians they encountered in the presence of a notary. This legal document informed the Native American Indians that the pope was the rightful owner of their land and that he had given Florida to Spain as a gift. Florida, at the time, included all of North America. On behalf of the Spanish monarchy and the pope, the conquistadors had come to claim and protect that ecclesiastical property. The Proclamation required the Native Americans to submit to: · the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church (The Church), and · the Defenders of the Catholic Church, the Spanish Monarchy (The State) If the Native American Indians did not submit, the Spanish conquistadors were not only given authority, but were commanded to inflict war and every type of cruelty upon them. Not surprisingly, the Proclamation was read to the Native Americans in either Spanish or Latin. Not understanding Spanish or Latin, the Native American Indians could not submit even if they had wanted to. Even though the Native American Indians didn’t understand what was being spoken, for some twisted reason the Roman Catholic Church, the Spanish monarchy and the conquistadors still justified the brutality they inflicted upon the Native American Indians with clear consciences. http://newhousefoundation.org/subpage14.html